The IMRF’s Lifeboat Crew Exchange programme continues to demonstrate the power of international collaboration across the maritime SAR community, bringing SAR volunteers together to learn, challenge assumptions and strengthen maritime rescue services worldwide.

A recent webinar brought together RNLI volunteers Dan Sinclair, Elissa Thursfield, Michael Bruce and Mark Nelson to reflect on their experiences during the IMRF’s Lifeboat Crew Exchange in 2025 and the lasting impact of their respective exchanges on their daily work.

As RNLI Senior International Programmes Manager David Whiddon explained, the IMRF was founded in 1924 as the International Lifeboat Federation to foster closer cooperation between maritime SAR organisations. The IMRF continues this mission today, with its vision of zero lives lost on the world’s waters. Creating practical opportunities for rescue services to learn from one another, the IMRF’s crew exchanges have become a powerful resource to spread awareness and knowledge across SAR organisations worldwide.

For some, the exchange challenged expectations. Dan Sinclair travelled to St Nazaire in France to explore French mass casualty procedures, given his home station’s involvement in Channel incidents. During the event, however, he found himself gaining something broader and arguably more valuable: insight into different organisational cultures and affirmation of the high regard in which RNLI training is held internationally. Working alongside crews from the Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM), he observed innovative approaches, including a self-launching Sea Legs boat costing a fraction of some UK assets. While not a direct replacement for larger lifeboats, the design sparked discussion about cost effective solutions for certain operational contexts. The exchange reinforced that innovation does not belong to any one nation.

In the Netherlands, Elissa Thursfield joined crews from the Royal Netherlands Sea Institution (KNRM). Her goal was to understand cross border collaboration and leadership in challenging conditions. She encountered varied leadership styles, from the Netherlands’ flat and empowering approach to more hierarchical structures elsewhere in the organisation. Training in Rotterdam’s sea survival pool and operating unfamiliar lifeboat classes required adaptability and calm communication and language barriers and differing risk tolerances demanded trust and clarity. The experience strengthened her confidence as a leader and deepened her appreciation of structured debriefs and a culture prioritising openness and support.

Hosting can also be as transformative for participants as travelling. In Scotland, Michael Bruce helped deliver a two-way exchange showcasing integrated lifeboat and lifeguard capabilities, operational decision making and casualty care standards. By opening up local practices to international scrutiny, the station gained fresh perspectives on its own systems. Conversations revealed shared challenges across organisations, from volunteer pressures to increasingly complex incidents. As Michael said during the webinar, the realisation that no service faces these issues alone was both reassuring and motivating.

Mark Nelson’s placement in Sweden tested his 26 years of RNLI experience. Serving as on scene commander during multi-agency exercises with jet driven all-weather lifeboats, he navigated unfamiliar equipment and language barriers. He also encountered the Swedish tradition of fika, a mandatory break focused on personal connection rather than operational discussion. This simple practice highlighted the value of relationship building and mental space in sustaining volunteer crews.

The RNLI webinar made it clear that, across every testimony, the impact of collaborating with like-minded SAR organisations through the IMRF’s Lifeboat Crew Exchange is already making a difference. Individuals returned to their home organisations more confident, more reflective and more connected. Services gained new ideas on training, equipment and crew welfare. International friendships and connections were forged, with plans for ongoing visits and collaboration.

By convening, supporting and championing these exchanges, the IMRF turns shared purpose into practical progress. The 2026 programme, running from 19 to 26 September, will build on this momentum. If the experiences shown by the RNLI volunteers is anything to go by, then participants of this year’s IMRF Lifeboat Crew Exchange can carry forward not only new knowledge, but a renewed commitment to saving lives together across borders.

Rewatch the webinars that took place on 19 February and 24 February.

The IMRF’s Lifeboat Crew Exchange continues to grow, connecting SAR organisations through hands-on experience and knowledge sharing. While visitor places for the 2026 programme are now full, organisations still have the opportunity to get involved. Those interested in hosting visiting crew members, either this year or in the future, are encouraged to get in touch. More information is available here.

Get involved in IMRF Exchanges

Building on the success of the Lifeboat Crew Exchange, the IMRF is expanding the concept to include Rescue Coordination Centres (RCCs). Successfully piloted in March 2026 in Ireland and the UK under the name Coast Guard Exchange, the programme received excellent feedback and will now be developed further.

Organisations are invited to take part in the RCC Exchange 2027, with opportunities to both host personnel within their RCCs and send staff to visit and learn from others. The exchange offers a valuable platform to strengthen coordination, share operational practices and enhance international cooperation. More information is available here. 

Organisations interested in participating in either the Lifeboat Crew Exchange or RCC Exchange are invited to contact International Programme Manager Jaakko Heikkilä.

These exchange programmes provide a powerful way to build skills, share experience and strengthen global SAR capability.